The exorcism of emily rose. Review on The Exorcism of Emily Rose Movie

Think you have seen it all before in the original “The Exorcist,” the mother of devil-worship horror movies? “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” actually goes the original one better. Rather than being a remake of the original, the film is the story of a real exorcism. The exorcism was attempted for a 19 year old college woman who suffered seizures, hallucinations, self-abuse and deprivation that eventually led to her death. The woman’s family chose exorcism after trying psychiatric counseling and medication that appeared ineffective. The exorcism ritual was performed under the auspices of the local Catholic Archdiocese by one Father Richard Moore, Emily Rose’ parish priest. Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is the central character in the story and in the film, although Laura Linney takes first billing playing the defense attorney who defends him in the eventual court case.

The success of this film lies in its taking a subject that was originally horror genre and transforming it into a story about religious freedom in the USA. Jennifer Carpenter’s portrayal of Emily Rose is more realistic than the original “Exorcist” part played by Linda Blair. Her face and body are not contorted beyond belief. With a couple of minor exceptions, her body does not do the physically impossible. Carpenter and director Scott Derrickson have Emily doing things that a conventional crazy person would do. Only Emily perceives them as spiritual rather than neurological or physiological.

The success of the film lies in its ability to walk the line between the supernatural and the worldly, forcing the audience to see the difference for themselves. The point of the film is the court case, not the condition of Emily Rose. The court case revolves around the question of whether Emily was “possessed” or whether she was stricken with illness. If the former was the case, the family acted correctly in calling for the exorcism ritual. If the latter was the case, they caused Emily’s death by denying her treatment. If treatment was denied, Father Moore was held accountable since the family reportedly placed Emily in his care.

If some persons count the exorcism idea as flaky, making Father Moore accountable for the acts of Emily and her family is probably even farther afield. But writer Paul Harris Boardman and co-writer / director Derrickson leave that issue aside. They want to bring the more important question to the forefront: was Emily possessed or was she ill, and who is qualified to tell the difference?

Thus the stage is set for the courtroom exposition of the argument. Was Emily treated correctly, or was she left to die by a group of religious fanatics? Laura Linney plays the upwardly mobile defense attorney Erin Bruner fighting the “glass ceiling” of sexual discrimination in the cutthroat male-dominated field of defense litigation. Her spiritually bankrupt boss Karl is played to smirking perfection by Colm Fiore. Although Boardman and Derrickson stop short of making him an easy target, Karl lacks Bruner’s style and instinct. He resents her and passively works for her failure.

Campbell Scott plays prosecuting attorney Ethan Thomas, Bruner’s opponent in the courtroom. It is Thomas’ job to prove that Father Moore was directly responsible for Emily’s death and send him to prison for a good long time. This is made real by Scott’s excellent portrayal of a man completely devoted to his task. Rather than right or wrong, he is simply focused and can see nothing but his side of the story. The audience is never let off easy by being given stereotypes.

Shot mostly indoors, this film is replete with well executed horror genre shots such as flapping doors and monstrous visions. These are realistic and believable in their occurrence and context. No heads roll, no knives fly across the room, but reality is distorted in a frightening way. The soundtrack is excellent, as is the photography. Indoor shots mean trouble and the few outdoor shots are turbulent, windy and/or fiercely rainy. In concert with the flashback, “Rashomon” style of narrative, a respectable tribute to Kurosawa.

Absolutely first rate performances by Wilkinson, Linney and Scott who refuse to buckle under the temptation to exploit. The roles are legitimately played as humans doing their jobs under the worst and most stressful of conditions. Disciplined and connected, this work is not be missed by their fans. Transcending the horror genre, “Emily Rose” is a scary movie that asks questions and provides no easy answers. Viewers will have to come to their own conclusions.